, 1887-11-05
FEEDING THE OUTcASTS.
Scenes Among London's Poor-The Little
Waifs of Trafalgar sauare.

Scenes Among London's Poor-The Little
Waits of Trafalgar Square.
An interesting scene lately took place
in Trafalgar square about l o'clock one
Saturday morning, when the poor out
casts congregated there to sleep were
~charitably fed with bread, and about
fifty of the most forlorn boys among
them were taken away to the "'Outcasts'
Haven" in Burdett road, Limehouse.
Mr.. Alfred Austin and other gentlemen
have been for some time past actively oc-
Cupied in kidnapping, so to speak, the
miserable little waits that abound nightly
in the square and bearing them off to the
haven. They are, of course, kept at the
home, which they are not allowed to
leave until they have in their hands that
which will enable them to get their own
living. The feeding of the outcasts, gen.
orally, with bread was tried for the first
time Saturday. Some of them seemed to
be aware of what was going to take
place, and when a covered van, contain
ing about 300 loaves of bread, cut into
large pieces, was driven up to the north
side of the square, there was a general
stir, though many seemed too sleepy or
absorbed in their own wretchedness to
care to stir themselves. The majority,
however, reused themselves when they
found that something was going to be
given away in the shape of food, and
crowded eagerly round the good Samari-
tan who had charge of the bread.
Some devoured it with avidity, others
ate it sullenly, a few took it unthank-
fully, and, after a bite or two, thrust it
into their pockets, remarking: Its only
bread" With many, however, there
wa a general clamor for more, which
was at once given to them. One of. the
outcasts, a little Irish woman, who
seemed to be rather the worse for drink,
was particularly busy in rushing about
among the forlorn groups of humanity
and ~denouncing them as '~'humbugs."
In vain the good humored policemen told
her to keep quiet. She would not, and
when some of the men crowded round
Mr.. Austin and told him how wretched
and hungry they were she shouted out:
'It's all a plantl It's all a plantl Ny
boy (whoever he was) knows 'em! He
sells matches with EN-! It's all a plant!''
The bread having been distributed, Mr..
Austin and those with him, assisted by
the police and some of the outcasts them
selves, sought out the most wretched
boys and asked them if they would like
to go where they would be made COM
Portable. ''You go" said a clean looking
lad, who had been taken to the haven
the previous night, and who looked all
the better for the change, to several of
the boys; ''it's fine, l can tell you
Some did not want much persuasion,
but others seemed hardly to understand
what was going to be done with them,
and were apparently half afraid they
We're going to be taken away to he locked
up in the station house. Very soon,
however, there was a general clamor
of Take me, master! Take me!
I'll gol Do take meo' But many
of those who wanted to go were
too old. ''None owe 49,, said Mr.. Aus
tin, upon which there was a general cry
from the rejected ones of II amt 10,
master. I'm only TO-" or Il amt turned
IA, master" 1t was curious to note that
while all this conversation was going on
some of the utcasts never stirred at all
apparently too absorbed in their miser-
able contemplations to take any interest
in what was going on.
AT length the boys who were to go
were all got together, and a move was
made toward the van, into which they
quickly climbed, laughing and talking
loudly among themselves, and apparently
delighted at the sudden change for the
better in their fortunes. Presently they
struck up singing Rule Britannia"
which, as the van was driven off, changed
to the music hall ditty of For they're all
very fine and Large. they're all very fine
and large" apparently in derision of the
rejected ones, who were too old or too big
to be taken away, the old Irish woman
hanging on to the last, and declaring that
it was ''all a plant 1t was as much as
the horse could do to drag the van, so
closely was it packed. A woman who
met the van as it slowly moved off was
very indignant at the horse having to
drag such a load, and declared that it was
''cruelty to animals, " and hat she would
inform the police. -London News.